The present invention relates to elevator systems and, more particularly, to a bracket for securing elevator components, such as dead-end hitches, to a hoistway having limited wall area available for attachment.
Elevator systems are typically installed in vertical hoistways within buildings having structural characteristics particularly dimensioned and designed to accommodate the elevator system components. Such customized design and structure are costly and space-consuming. In addition, permanent structures cannot be easily or inexpensively altered and, thus, replacement options for old or damaged elevator equipment are limited. Additionally, such permanent structures sometimes prohibit convenient access to various elevator components for servicing or repair.
Most elevator component mounting devices for mounting in the hoistway require an available section of hoistway wall spanning successive floor slabs to support mounting. It is desirable in many building structures, however, to forego constructing such wall spans unless necessary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an elevator component mounting system that enables an elevator system to be installed in a building that does not require costly or space-consuming structural characteristics.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an elevator component mounting system that is versatile with respect to its interfacing with different building structures and with different elevator components.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an elevator component mounting system that spans successive floor slabs and does not require a continuous hoistway wall span to support it.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an elevator component mounting system that facilitates convenient access to various elevator components for servicing or repair.
These objects and others are achieved by the present invention mounting system disclosed herein.
The present invention elevator component mounting system is directed to one or more bracket-beam type structures that span the vertical distance between successive floor slabs to provide a support bracket for elevator components in the absence of a vertical wall spanning the floor slabs. The bracket-beam structure according to the present invention is suitable for mounting dead-end rope hitches, elevator machines and other components. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention is described with respect to a system that includes two bracket-beam structures on opposite sides of a hoistway wherein each bracket-beam structure supports a rope dead-end hitch and one bracket-beam structure supports an elevator machine.